


The Light

by dorkpatroller



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, Mild Drama, mostly cutes, patron fic, that sort of thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 23:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12157074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorkpatroller/pseuds/dorkpatroller
Summary: Once upon a time an adorable princess asked a hero if he believed in love at first sight.





	The Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lieano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieano/gifts).



The Light - Odin x Elise

 

“Odin,” Elise says one day while Odin is in her company. He spends time with her often. She likes to imitate the way he speaks, and Odin takes it as a compliment. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, his mother always said. She usually said it to his father, when a young Owain wanted to copy everything his father did by way of the blade. It seems suited to this situation too. “I want to talk to you about something grown up.”

Elise is fourteen, and she acts younger than that most days, but she is nothing if not intelligent, sweet as honey, and curious. Odin turns to face her and pulls at the bottom of his waistcoat. Around the castle all of the retainers to the royal siblings tend to wear more casual clothes. To walk around in their armor or capes all the time wouldn’t make sense. Still, Odin has never been one for vests or cravats, and so it is still an adjustment. He turns to face her properly and nods his head. “I will scour the stars to answer your question, if I must.”

Elise has her own retainers but they aren’t present at the moment. It is just the two of them. (When Elise’s retainers are assigned to other tasks, Lord Leo often asks Odin to babysit. Odin thinks Elise is plenty capable of taking care of herself, young or not.) She is sitting on a swing. The chains reach up high and attach to a thick branch of an old, winding tree. How trees grow in Nohr is a mystery. They have to crawl up in any direction they can to reach for as much light as possible, when the light of day is so dim it somedays scarce is any brighter than the night.

She crosses her ankles under the swing and comes to a stop, so she can regard his eyes properly. “Do you believe in soulmates? Or love at first sight?”

Odin opens his mouth to reply, but he closes it. How is this a very grown up conversation? The dreams of finding one’s true love should stay with people of all ages. He wishes he was Laslow, for a moment. Maybe he could find a more romantic way to tell her that all people can find love, if they’re willing to look. Even those who are somewhat unwilling or reluctant, in the case of his parents.

“My father once told me of a red string that connects people to their destined. Only the very well trained can see the strings, but they are tied around our pinky fingers.” He holds up his pinky to her, as if he were going to make a promise. Similarly, she looks down at her own pinky finger. “Worry not, young princess, for tied around your finger is a shimmering, crimson thread that will guide you to your true love. No matter how you move or twist it, that string will pull you to them.”

Elise looks from her pinky finger, to Odin’s. It is only a matter of seconds before she twists their pinky fingers together into a promise. “I believe in true love, too.” She lets go and resumes swaying on that swing. Odin resumes reading over a tome. He wonders why that thought was plaguing her… but he doesn’t bother question it for too long.

…

Her sixteenth birthday comes along only days after Corrin has chosen to betray both Hoshido and Nohr. Although there are plans for celebration in place, no one feels quite like celebrating. Elise sneaks away from her room, from her retainers, and from the castle to visit the undercity. It is where she finds Odin, looking over a stall.

“What are you doing?” She asks, leaning over to look at what he is eyeing. The stall has a vast array of trinkets. Baubles and gifts of all sorts. He startles and she giggles. When he turns to look at her, she has a cloak wrapped around her body. It isn’t her own, this is clearly the cloak of one of the servants… she is in disguise.

In order not to blow her obvious cover, Odin catches himself before he can gasp her name. Instead he asks “What are you doing here?” He shouldn’t speak so informally to the princess. Perhaps with Leo he could get away with it now or then, but Elise is not his liege. That said… he often wonders if she might as well be, for as often as he finds himself alone with her.

She must not be offended by his question. She pulls the cloak around her shoulders tighter and she answers him. “Everyone is sad, and I just… wanted to do something happier. I’m scared if I get all of my siblings together in a room for a party they’ll just… Well, I think they’ll start talking about strategy or C…”

Odin watches her mouth struggle to finish forming the name. Corrin betrayed them, and that’s not fair to anyone. Especially not to their siblings. Elise’s lip trembles and she rolls it in to bite down on. It is then that Odin presents her with a parcel wrapped in brown paper.

He thinks it must be enough to distract her from her woes because her tears never fall. She takes it from him and plucks at the twine holding it closed. “What is this?” She asks. Odin guides her away from the stall he was looking at with a warm hand on her shoulder. He draws her close. He’s watching over her, that is. The undercity is rarely chaotic, but not everyone here would overlook the chance to abduct or assassinate a princess of Nohr for a pretty penny.

“A gift. A journal,” he answers. Elise unwraps it and true to his word there is a leather bound journal. It is bound with hemp sewn into the pages, and leather strings on the outside to tie it closed. It isn’t that exceptionally fancy, but the leather has spiraling designs engraved into it. “For you, to celebrate the anniversary of your birth.”

Elise turns it over in her hands. Odin wonders if she even likes it. Then she opens the journal, hesitating only to notice that the pages are edged in silver. “It’s blank. Like a diary.” She looks at him with round eyes. Her fingers trail over the leather.

Odin scratches the back of his neck. “When I was sixteen, I began writing my first, real journal. I filled it with stories of who I wanted to be and things I wanted to do. I thought you might enjoy doing the same.”

Elise takes a few seconds to consider it. Odin supposes it’s not a gift everyone might like. Her smile turns sad. “I’ll write everything in it.” She decides. Her eyes seem sad. She must be thinking of her lost sister. She stands on her toes but Odin still has to bend down when she throws her arms around his shoulders to hug him. “Thank you.” 

 

She hugs him tighter. She turns her head and kisses his cheek. She runs off, and Odin stares after her with a faint blush on his cheeks. 

 

…

  
  


“He isn’t so horrible,” Odin says, softly enough. The young lord that Elise is likely going to be asked to marry, that is. She always said she wouldn’t hesitate. She would marry for the good of Nohr if Xander and her other siblings truly thought it would help. But she doesn’t seem to like this one. 

 

“He is so.” She mutters. She’s seventeen. A touch young, but old enough to marry and have children, so no doubt she won’t be in a position to decline if the young lord asks for her hand. “He’s so… so…” 

 

Odin and Niles are watching over her while Leo and Xander discuss the up and coming journey with her retainers. They are to be extra diligent, no doubt. No distractions, no bad luck, it must go smoothly. Elise is a grown woman, Odin thinks. She hardly needs to be babysat while others talk behind her back. “He’s so what, Milady?” He asks, patiently. 

 

“Boring!” She cries. Niles snickers. 

 

“You haven’t met the young man,” Niles says. He crosses his arm across his chest. Elise is seated on a bench in the garden. Her ankles are crossed and her dress frames her body perfectly. She looks a great deal like her siblings, though through the years Odin has noticed she has remained shorter, more petite. He wonders if she’ll ever be as tall as the others. 

 

He’s standing to one side of her. Niles is to the other. “I already know he’s boring.” Elise mutters. She says it quiet, it’s not like her. Odin frowns. He reaches out and sets a hand on her shoulder. Elise slumps even more, if possible. 

 

“How might you know that?” Odin asks. He glances at Niles. The two of them share a look of confusion. Elise has never been one to judge others before knowing them. It’s why she has always been so kind to them. To everyone. 

 

Elise seems to shrink. Odin takes a seat beside her on the bench. Niles steps in closer, to hear her tiny voice. She whispers. “I already love the most interesting, exciting, fun man in the whole world…” 

 

Niles glances at Odin again. Does he think Odin has an answer? Odin has none. He’s startled. He and the princess are so close… he should have thought she would have mentioned a love interest. But Niles just laughs, softly. “Heh,” He says, and he wanders off until there’s a fair distance between them. 

 

Odin doesn’t know why, until Elise takes up his hand. His cheeks flush. Could she mean him? “Lady Elise,” He says. She squeezes his hand tighter. 

 

“I don’t want to marry him.” She leans her body into Odin until her head rests on his shoulder. He smiles a little, sadly. He would never have imagined Elise of all people would be faced with a marriage she didn’t want.

 

“Worry not! The young lord may not even ask for your hand.” Odin lies. It’s quite obvious he’ll ask. Odin has felt uncomfortable about it, of course. He doesn’t want Elise to marry him. Prior to this moment he hadn’t particularly paid attention to why. Now he does. “Milady deserves to marry the man of her dreams.” He says, softer. 

 

Elise makes a tiny noise. Odin thinks it might be a whimper. It’s heartbreaking. “Then w….” She speaks, but it’s muted by his arm. Odin frowns. His brows knit together. He shifts so she’s not muffled anymore. 

 

“Lady Elise?” 

 

“I said… will you marry me?” 

 

Odin can hear Niles hold in a noise from across the way. It’s not a joke! Odin isn’t sure what to do, what to say. “Milady… Your siblings won’t approve. I can bring nothing to benefit Nohr, and my social stature--” 

 

“But you’re a prince!” Elise shouts. Niles stops snickering. Odin’s face turns white. He has no idea how she found that out about him. He has no idea how she could have. He keeps his secrets tucked away nicely. But Elise obviously found out  _ somehow _ , and all that’s left is for Odin’s voice to drop lower.

 

“I’m not, anymore.” He watches her deflate. She looks ashamed of herself. Probably for shouting at him. 

 

“How can you not..?” 

 

“My family’s kingdom died long ago, and my value as a prince is empty. I have nothing to contribute to Nohr, or to you.” 

 

Elise stares at him with her eyes glistening. Odin realizes she’s going to cry just as she sucks in a breath and stands up. She runs off with a huff. Odin stands too, but he can’t bring his legs to follow her. He swallows hard. Not even a breath later he feels Niles’s open palm thwack the back of his head. “Er-Hey!” 

 

“The princess is in love with you, idiot,” Niles says. “You just rejected her proposal.” 

 

Odin’s heart sinks. He did, didn’t he? It doesn’t even make sense to him, either, because he loves her just the same. 

 

…

 

She is engaged to be married and her siblings fawn over Elise. They can’t seem to figure out why she’s so lost. The light in her eyes is gone. Odin doesn’t need to ask why. She’s engaged to be married but to the young lord. Not to Odin. The light is gone from his eyes, too. 

 

Elise hasn’t spoken with Odin since that day. It’s like their entire friendship is gone. It’s like they were never in love. It hurts. But Elise is to be married and Odin can’t have her. That’s the way it’s meant to be, is it not?

 

If this is how it’s meant to be, it certainly feels wrong. Leo doesn’t say anything on the subject. Odin would pretend he didn’t know if he wasn’t sure he did. He’s sure that Niles told him. He’s sure that Leo knows Odin is the reason Elise is no longer smiling. 

 

But then, one day, he sees her. She looks at him and she doesn’t look away. She just waits for him to approach. He’s not sure he even wants to, but his feet move of their own accord and he ultimately finds he’s drawn to her. She examines him. “I thought,” She begins, “You said you believed in soulmates.”

 

“I do.” He does! He believes in the thread of fate. He believes that if he were to look for it, he would find it connecting the two of them. “The power of love at first sight is unyielding.” 

 

“Huh.” Elise looks at the ground. “If that’s the case… then marry me.” 

 

Odin sucks in a breath. That she dares to propose a second time speaks to how strong her feelings are. It speaks to her desire to be with him, and it speaks to her courage more than anything else. “Milady…”

 

Elise puts out her finger. Her pinky finger, like a promise. He looks at it, and then he smiles. He curls his pinky in hers. “Say you’ll marry me, and that I don’t have to go marry that stinky other jerk.” 

 

Odin isn’t sure that he’s a jerk, but he doesn’t want her to marry him. He’s just not sure how they’ll feel about calling off the wedding. But his finger is tied to hers in promise. He does what he knows is right. “It would be my greatest honor to wed such a noble and wild princess of Nohr. If you will truly have me, and forgive me.” 

 

“I’ll forgive you, for a price.” Elise taps her fingertip against her lips. Odin stares at them, momentarily… and then he leans down to kiss her for the first time. He expects it to be tentative and awkward. Instead, she throws her arms around his neck and kisses him like she’s a seasoned veteran. She kisses him breathless.

 

The world is right again! Odin feels light and happy. He’s thrilled to have her here in his arms. “You’re the best!” She cries, and she hangs from his shoulders childishly. “I can’t wait to tell Leo!” 

 

“You--erm--what?” Odin asks. 

 

“He said if you wanted to marry me, he would find a way to call off the arranged marriage.” Elise shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t want to marry that other guy too, you know…” 

 

Ah, so he did know. Odin smiles to himself. Yes, that makes sense. He extends his hand to her. She takes it, and beams at him. “Let’s go, then! Two united lovers, off to spread the word of their fated engagement!” 

 

Elise cheers with her hand in the air. “Yeah!” She giggles. Her voice is simple and sweet and good again. The light is back in her eyes, and also in Nohr.


End file.
